Ole Miss will face Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl

Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly (10) lunges forward with the ball for a 27-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Rogelio V. SolisAP

Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly (10) lunges forward with the ball for a 27-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Rogelio V. SolisAP

No. 12 Ole Miss will play 16th ranked Oklahoma State in the 82nd annual Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ESPN will televise the game.

With back-to-back appearances in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss is one of five programs to make New Year's Six bowls in the first two seasons under the College Football Playoff system. The others are Alabama, Florida State, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 SEC) is making its fourth straight bowl appearance in four seasons under the direction of coach Hugh Freeze. Last year, he became the only coach in school history to guide the Rebels to bowl berths in each of his first three seasons. The Rebels' 33 wins under Freeze are the most in a four-year span since John Vaught led the team to 36 victories from 1960-63.

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This year's Rebel squad won nine regular-season games for the second straight year, defeating Alabama, Auburn and LSU in the same season for the first time in school history. It's the second straight year that Ole Miss was the only team to take down the Crimson Tide in the regular season.

"I'm proud of our program for being one of the few to make it back to a 'New Year's Six' bowl," Freeze said. "My childhood was spent hearing Rebel fans talk about Archie leading us to a Sugar Bowl win, and I'm thrilled for our players, coaches and fans to return to New Orleans and represent the SEC.

"Oklahoma State is an outstanding team and we have a great challenge in front of us, but I know Rebel Nation will come in force and provide us tremendous support as they have in every bowl game."